


Drowning in the Cold

by mauraandthebees



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Angst, Canonical Character Death, Gen, I'm so sorry, Pre-Canon, Siblings, Supportive Siblings, Teenagers, grab tissues, sad boy hours
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-24
Updated: 2019-03-24
Packaged: 2019-11-29 11:18:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18222434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mauraandthebees/pseuds/mauraandthebees
Summary: Ben wakes up in the middle of nowhere freezing. He needs to get back home and find his family. Pre-Canon, when Ben dies.





	Drowning in the Cold

**Author's Note:**

> This story kept coming into my head until I wrote it down so I hope you enjoy. I'm sorry.

One of the downsides of dying is the cold. Ben wasn’t ready for the sudden temperature change when he passed and still hasn’t fully adapted yet. He was only wearing a t-shirt and a pair of ripped jeans when he died. When he opened his eyes, he was freezing then began violently shaking like he was trapped in his own personal earthquake. Ben summoned all the strength to start making his way back home. He didn’t know where he was or how he ended up in an alley but he knew he needed to get home.

The walk to the Hargreeves’ house was one of the longest walks Ben has ever taken. The shaking increased with every step and it didn’t help that the wind was trying to knock him over. The people in the streets passing by wore their summer clothes but as soon as Ben was close they shivered at the sudden chill. He didn’t pay attention to this however because the only thought he had on his brain was the warmth from inside. If Ben looked down as he was walking, he would notice that there was no shadow and people wouldn’t move out of the way for him. No one saw him they only felt the cold that was holding on to Ben for dear life.

When the gates were in sight, Ben’s walk turned into a sprint. The adrenaline was pumping that the his earthquake ceased to exist. As he reached the door, his hand reached out to grab the doorknob and was ready for his legs to take over to run inside to find the warmest clothes he could find. Expecting to grab the metal, the feeling of nothing in his hands was a surprise. He tried to grab it 3 more times with panic increasing to the point that tears were flowing down his face. Ben closed his eyes and ran through the door to hopefully find one of his siblings. The house was warmer than outside, but he still felt like his skin was turning blue. The house was darker and reeked of sadness. 

“Hello! Klaus, Diego! Please someone answer me,” Ben screamed at the top his lungs praying that it would be heard by his siblings. There was no answer, the only response was the wind sweeping by. His anxiety took over his whole body like a boa constrictor wrapping around his body. With a sharp inhale, Ben collapsed to the floor for he was slowly realizing what was happening. His brain was trapped in his own thoughts that he didn’t even notice the footsteps coming toward him. 

“Ben...Ben is that you,” the broken man was standing in front of him covered in with a blanket of sadness. Ben slowly raised his head and saw the one person he needed most. It was Klaus. “Ben where have you been? Everyone is worried sick, I...I thought I lost you,” Klaus stated as he was reaching down for Ben. He tried to grab Ben’s hand to pull his brother up and hold onto him forever. Klaus’ hand was not in his, it went through Ben’s and his eyes flashed with horror. “No, this can’t be real,” Klaus breath hitched and the room fell silent.

“Please Klaus, I don’t want to be like this. I can’t be dead,” Ben’s tears flowed like a waterfall down face. Klaus sat down next to Ben and sighed. “Klaus I’m scared,” it came out as a faint whisper. At this point he couldn’t tell if his shaking was from the anxiety or the frigid cold. Ben had his hands resting on the floor to stabilize himself from crumbling into dust. Klaus placed his hand where Ben was wishing he could feel his brother’s hand but instead felt the cold wooden floor. Though Ben could feel the hand, Klaus’ presence was like the sun on his skin. It was the only warmth he had felt since he woke up. Ben leaned on Klaus and laid his head on his shoulder. Ben was relieved to be able to feel his brother and to talk to him. Still, his presence was overwhelming to him that he felt like he was dying again. The thought of dying again made chills run down his spine.

“Are you okay? You’re shaking like crazy,” Klaus asked the crumbling presence next to him.

“I’m freezing, I feel like I’m turning blue,” Ben said looking down at his skin to make sure he wasn’t changing. He noticed his skin was paler by the minute.

“It’s a side effect of dying, the cold. That’s why I’m always wearing jackets,” Klaus gestured to his sweatshirt he was wearing. Klaus always complained about being cold. On missions after they solve the problem stole, Klaus would being shivering and would lean into the warmth of his siblings. All of Ben’s sweatshirt would slowly disappear and Klaus appearing with them on later. When Klaus is in his room he is wraps himself in 3 blankets while wearing one of Ben’s baggy sweatshirts that Klaus stretched from putting it over his knees. This made sense to Ben, considering Klaus was surrounded by spirits 24/7. Ben nodded and another chill rushed through him. Klaus started to get up and looked back at Ben, “Come on, let's go upstairs so we can get you a jacket, shake and bake” Ben took a second to pull himself off the floor as if he were pulling an anchor up. Klaus waited for him and when Ben was finally standing he turned and walked towards the stairs with Ben at his heels.

The walk up to Klaus’ bedroom was silent. Anxiety was eating Ben alive that he was to afraid to speak. He grabbed onto Klaus’ wrist as they were walking like a child holding onto their parent so they wouldn’t get lost. He knew Klaus couldn’t feel it but he needed him now more than ever. As they reached the top of the stairs, Klaus looked down at his wrist and smiled. Klaus always hated his power, he would do anything to rip it out of him if he could. He hated himself every day and hated the sounds of the ghosts infecting his brain. However, today he needed this power more than anything. He needed to be there for Ben. When Ben was alive, he supported everything Klaus did no matter how stupid it was. He would go along with all of his and Diego’s stupid plans and was the first person he came out to. Even though he would never admit it to him, Ben was Klaus’ rock and he loved him.

“Okay, so let me find you a sweatshirt,” Klaus said as they entered the room. The only word describe the state of it was a disaster. There were clothes on every surface, coloring books and art supplies all over the desk, and records scattered on the floor. Ben was wondering if they would ever find them in the Jungle of Klaus. Klaus was throwing things around like a tornado ripping through a town. “Oh I remember where I put those buggers,” Klaus stated as he walked over his bed. He squatted down and pulled out a black trunk with the “00.04” carved into it. “Well since you can’t really steal my things any more I might as well tell you what this is,” He gestured to the trunk with Ben being sucked into the mystery. “This is where I keep my things that I don’t want anyone to mess with, like my pictures or stuff I steal from you guys. And look what we have here,” Klaus held up a black sweatshirt that was covered in paint stains. Ben grabbed it out of his hand like a bird snatching a french fry from a child. He threw it on himself and relieved to be surrounded in the warmth. The cold was still there creeping through him, but the sweatshirt was battling it off. 

“Thank you Klaus, I owe you my… well my afterlife,” Ben chuckled, it was the first time he laughed since he woke up. Klaus looked up and smiled at Ben and sat down on his bed. Ben followed Klaus’ movements and sat down next to him and put his head on his shoulder. His shaking calmed down and he took the biggest relaxed breath. “Now what happens now,” the question hung in the air as both Hargreeves boys searched for the answer.

“I don’t know Ben, I think we just have to ride it out.” Klaus whispered to Ben even though they were the only ones in the room. “Good thing you are my ride or die,” Klaus winked at him. Ben took Klaus’ hand to reassure that Klaus was still real, Klaus looked down then closed his eyes. Yes, the cold was a side effect of dying, but Klaus was Ben’s blanket fighting of the cold that haunts him.

**Author's Note:**

> I just want to give a huge thanks to my close good friends for helping me and giving me motivation for writing this. This wouldn't exist if it wasn't for you guys. I love you <3


End file.
